Jun 27, 2017

TV can't keep up with Trump

John Locher / AP

"Real-life drama in age of Trump challenges TV's storytellers," by AP's Frazier Moore:

"The writers of Showtime's 'Homeland' are already brainstorming next season, 'and every day the landscape changes,' says Alex Gansa, an executive producer and co-creator of the Claire Danes-starring spy thriller. 'It's very difficult to keep up.'"Melissa James Gibson, a showrunner for Netflix's "House of Cards": "I think it engenders a sick impulse — 'What's he gonna do today?' — where we're looking for our drama from the real-life president, as if THAT were a show."David Mandel, showrunner for HBO's "Veep": "I'm very jealous ... We work very hard on our scripts. They seem to be better at the job than I am."

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Amy Harder
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Column / Harder Line

How Europe’s green pandemic recovery will push the rest of the world

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Europe, long the most progressive continent when it comes to tackling climate change, is doubling down on this ambition to revive pandemic-ravaged economies.

Why it matters: The European Union is the world’s third-largest emitting region after the U.S. and China, but it’s not just that. These plans will push global corporate behavior and prod other governments by creating either templates to follow or protectionist battles (or both).

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Axios
Updated 10 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 12,859,834 — Total deaths: 567,123 — Total recoveries — 7,062,085 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 3,297,501— Total deaths: 135,155 — Total recoveries: 1,006,326 — Total tested: 40,282,176 — Map.
  3. States: Florida smashes single-day record for new coronavirus cases with over 15,000 — NYC reports zero coronavirus deaths for first time since pandemic hit.
  4. Public health: Ex-FDA chief projects "apex" of South's coronavirus curve in 2-3 weeks — Coronavirus testing czar: Lockdowns in hotspots "should be on the table"
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Jonathan Swan
10 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Scoop: How the White House is trying to trap leakers

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

President Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has told several White House staffers he's fed specific nuggets of information to suspected leakers to see if they pass them on to reporters — a trap that would confirm his suspicions. "Meadows told me he was doing that," said one former White House official. "I don't know if it ever worked."

Why it matters: This hunt for leakers has put some White House staffers on edge, with multiple officials telling Axios that Meadows has been unusually vocal about his tactics. So far, he's caught only one person, for a minor leak.

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